Police Seek Leads In Garden Grove Triple Homicide

POSTED: 7:52 am PDT May 30, 2006
UPDATED: 4:45 pm PDT May 31, 2006



LOS ANGELES -- Police revealed Wednesday that three members of a Garden Grove family were stabbed to death, but a motive for the Memorial Day weekend crime remains elusive and they asked for the public's help.


Phong H. Le, 30, and his wife, Trish Dawn Lam, 25, lived in the home along with their year-old daughter and Lam's 6-year-old son, Tommy, from another relationship.

The infant was found crawling around in the two-story home in the 8700 block of Summercrest Circle when officers arrived around 7 p.m. Monday to conduct a welfare check. Lam's co-workers had become concerned when she failed to show up.


The baby, who was dehydrated and had been beaten or perhaps kicked, was treated at a hospital, then placed in protective custody, police said.

"All three of our victims were stabbed to death," Garden Grove police Lt. Dennis Ellsworth told reporters. "There was no signs of forced entry into the residence.

"We're not sure of the possibility that the victims may have know who the killers were," he said. "And what we are doing today is asking for the public's help with any information on leads that may help us solve this heinous crime."

The lieutenant called it "one of the most horrific crimes that we've investigated in many years. In talking to some of the police officers at the scene, it was one of the most horrific scenes that they've had to investigate."

Ellsworth said he does not know if the background of Le, a former gang member whose photo reveals a teardrop tattoo next to his eye, has anything to do with why the family was targeted.

"There was an arrest, but it was many, many, many years ago and we don't know if that even had anything to play with" the killings, he said.

Le, who served a four-year sentence for robbery starting in 1994 and then spent an additional two years in prison for destroying jail property, was found dead in the upstairs home office.

The bodies of his wife and her son were found in separate bedrooms, also on the second floor, investigators said.

Police believe the couple's baby "was assaulted by one or more of the suspects," Lt. Mike Handfield said Tuesday. "Basically we think this infant was left for dead."

Asked if a small surveillance camera mounted outside the garage had revealed any clues as to who visited the home just before the family was killed, Ellsworth said, "We're not releasing any specific details on whether there was video or anything like that."



Ellsworth said police cannot be certain if there was one or multiple attackers, but the fact that there was no sign of a forced entry led them to believe the victims knew their killers.

"It looks like they took some time in the house, it wasn't like they went in and left right away," Ellsworth said. "From what we can gather so far, they probably spent some time in the house before they did leave and it occurred some time over that weekend."

Police do not have "any specific information on whether anything was taken or not," Ellsworth said.

Ellsworth asked that anyone with information on the crime call 714-741- 5704.

I read that this morning. Really sa actually

Do u guys think some Viet gangs executed the guy and his family ??

Stupid cowards, how the are they gonna assault a baby and leave it for dead. I understand why the gangmember sould die but leave the wife and kids alone.

I hope they catch the bastards who killed them.

seems like business gone bad. at the age of 30 nobody really bangs.what a shame, they need to be caught.

That's why people shouldn't get mixed up in gangs.

Can't say I feel sorry for the man, because he was the one responsible for his own actions and involvement in gangs.

Can't say I feel sorry for the woman, because she was the one responsible for picking a man who had been in a gang and to prison for robbery.

The really unfortunate victims are the kids, who have no choice in their parents. Maybe the baby girl will get adopted by a good family. And let's hope that she has not inherited too much of her parents' genes.

Very sad indeed.

who said it had anything do with gangs? business cant go bad? parents genes? gang genes or what
theres probably an ignorant gene though.

Probably another gang murder. The moral of the story stay the fu-k away from gangs. Hopefully in 2 or 3 more generations this bull$hit isn't so prevalent within the Viet community. I'm sick of reading in the L.A. Times about some Viet getting murder or being prosecuted for some gang activity.

Much as we dislike gangbangers, we should leave them a way to step out of the life. Based on the presumption that it is unusual for a gangbanger to raise a family, I'll take it that the man was going straight at the time he was killed.

I hope that whoever did this gets caught. I surmise that these scums must be half-way across the country by now - Chicago, Dallas or even New York, if the heat is bad enough. I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to run off to Vietnam, if the FBI is on to them. But there is no place to hide.

the Viet guy was ex con / bad guy himself, I really dont believe people change much when they are bad, when sombody is a bad person they never change, just like once a thief always a thief.

when your associated with bad people, what comes around goes around sooner or later.

I have to disagree. People do change and turn their lives around.

the viet guy was an innocent guy, no criminal records nada. i really dont believe good pple change into a bad guy. when somebody is a a good person they never change, just like once a straight guy always a straight guy.

when you associated with good people, what comes around goes around sooner or later.

bad things do happen to good pple. you hear it and see all the time. vice versa

Disagree 100%, you gotta give people a chance for them to change !!

I agree with you 100%. If we don't give people a chance to change or a chance to prove they have changed, these people will go on being a threat - Giving people a chance to change is not merely for their own good, it's also for own good and sanity.

omg. this is horrible news! may the man & his family R.I.P.



this is So sad.

Nope this guy wasn't innocent. He was in prison for 4 years for arm robbery. He even has a tear drop tattoo below one of his eyes and is heavily tattooed elsewhere with gang affiliations. Yeah I guess that makes you "innocent" and "good" right?



source

i feel sad for the boy that has to die so young.

im guessing you wanted to quote me? lmao! i wasnt saying he was innocent. read it again! i was repeating what he said but reversing it. does my line make sense or not? he mentioned bad things happen to bad pple, and what i was trying to say that even bad things happen to good pple.

i think we all know this guy was guilty of being a gang member. but it doesnt mean this killing had to do anything with it.

Some people just look at the situation 1 way and half other brain is dead or something man !!

right on!

Well, this is not news to the Viet community. Since we had so many young violents Viets in gangs these days. this is one of the good example Why young Viet should stay in school, family values is a plus. Also, contribution positive morals attitudes to the our society that we lives in.

life suxk when things like this happen

this is why viet kids these days need to listen to the erotic gangsta rap of Chuckie Akenz

what's up with you and chuckie akenz

but i think its another case of viet kill viet

^^ yes,another case of dog eats dogs bone

Drug deal gone Bad ???

"Ellsworth said police cannot be certain if there was one or multiple attackers, but the fact that there was no sign of a forced entry led them to believe the victims knew their killers.

"It looks like they took some time in the house, it wasn't like they went in and left right away," Ellsworth said. "From what we can gather so far, they probably spent some time in the house before they did leave and it occurred some time over that weekend." "

They caught the perps, in TX.